


Of Flames and Smoke: Dragons

by orphan_account



Series: Of Flames and Smoke [3]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Gen, M/M, fem!Kuroko - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 02:24:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4287135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay, maybe Tetsumi <i>did</i> meet a few dragons</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shuuzou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bc honestly, who _doesn't_ love dragons
> 
> This isn't a sequel, sorry
> 
> The majority of the names associated with the dragons that are already in this universe are merely coincidental (or are they? Hmmm...) Be warned, names may not match personality/appearance of dragon

The arrow in his side throbbed. 

The blood was just beginning to seep through the gray fabric of his garments, aggravated by how he'd still proceeded to cut down the bandit just seconds after the blasted projectile had become lodged there. Pulling it out would only bring excessive bleeding, and he wasn't planning on dying just yet. 

Kagami was still unfamiliar with the pitifully low pain tolerance his human form could withstand—so much _lower_ than that of a dragon's—but he pushed the pain away anyway, lifting lead arms to grasp the end still sticking out and snapping the brittle wood in his hands.

Kagami felt the arrow move, despite how quickly he tried to do it. He exhaled sharply through clenched teeth, feeling the ache in his jaw and in his head. All he could do was breath through the pain until it passed. 

What was supposed to be a simple border check turned out to be an ambush conducted by bandits, which explained why he, Kise, and a few of the other knights were taking cover a good dozen yards away from the border that separated Teiko and Touou. Figures. 

The forest had long since faded into sand and towering canyons littered with caves and crevices that blocked out the sun three hours into the ride, a terrain unfamiliar to everyone including himself. 

Beside him kneeled Kise, who'd luckily come out of the initial scuffle unscathed. It would've complicated the situation even more if he didn't- they already had less men to begin with. A quarter of them had fallen back to guard the supplies and horses by Kise's orders. 

With a sigh, he leaned back against the slab of stone, tossing the splintered end of the arrow away. "So, any idea of how to get out of this mess?" Picking his sword up off the ground, he directed the question to his only superior within miles.

Kise turned to him. It was becoming easier to make out his face with sand no longer flying. The concerned gaze that had since now been aimed towards him melted away as the blond knight raised an eyebrow in question, no doubt at how he was still able to lift his sword when he had just been shot less than a minutes ago. 

He didn't mull over it very long. "A few." Kise fixed his golden gaze back on the band of marauders starting to trickle out from hiding, having regrouped and were carefully nearing the boulder they were both taking shelter behind, yet to be spotted. "And none of them include these guys leaving here in one piece."

"Technically, they're intruding on Teiko territory, and have just displayed unnecessary hostile force against a knight of high command." Kise explained, no doubt referring to himself. 

"So, in 'technical' terms, that means they're a threat." Kagami concluded. 

"Exactly." Usually someone that was a threat had to be eliminated, Kagami thought bitterly, rising up on a knee to do a quick once over of the terrain. How ironic.

They didn't have much space to work with. The road was around four carriages wide, which was not very wide, and it would be painful to fall off the side and into the fissures lining the path. It was the perfect place to stage an ambush. Not the most unpredictable of plans, but they certainly hadn't seen it coming.

Kise ducked back down, fingers curling over the hilt of his own sword, the hiss of metal as it slid out of its sheath slicing through the dusty air that was just beginning to settle and fade from Kagami's vision. 

Kagami stilled as Kise raised his hand, "On my signal," with palm open as a signal for the others behind them to wait. It was beginning to hurt to draw in air, the area the arrow was rooted in burning with every inhale. He concentrated on keeping his breathing even.

The shadow of the man closest to them approached, grains crunching under his heel. He was a large man, the burly black outline on the ground beside Kagami's feet making him appear even larger. The lack of sunlight made it hard to see much.

The footsteps continued to advance before they ceased, stopping shy of their hiding spot. The man turned this way and that slowly, sword in hand. Kagami's heightened senses were able to make out the groan of wood belonging only to that of a bowstring being drawn back, and immediately caught Kise's drift. A little ways behind them, knights wielding bows were nocking their arrows and awaiting the signal. 

As the bandit began to lose interest, Kise dropped his hand. In trained synchronization, the archers rose up onto their feet and released. "Now!"

Arrows fashioned to be much more lethal than the one in Kagami's side met their marks in the chests and backs of the nearest men, including the one right beside them. 

Yells of alarm from the opposite party was enough of a signal for Kise, Kagami, and the rest of the group to rise, swords raised. With newfound energy—probably the adrenaline he was still riding on from before—Kagami rushed forward, intercepting a bandit also brandishing a sword. 

Their blades locked for a moment before they broke apart. Ducking to avoid a swing aimed at his head, Kagami knocked away the next few blows with ease, putting more force than necessary into his own strikes to throw the bandit back.

When first learning how to wield a sword, Kagami found he often swung heavy-handedly, wearing out blades quicker than normal with how hard he struck. Upon coming to Teiko, brute strength wasn't considered a negative quality of a swordsman, so long as you knew how to use it.

His opponent lunged, but, overestimating the distance intentionally made between them by Kagami, extended his body too far out. Kagami took the opportunity to draw his sword in and, with a flick of his wrist, watched as the sword flew from his enemy's hands. 

Kagami would have done more than knock the man out with the flat of his blade, but his instincts kicked in, and he was just able to deflect a knife appearing out of nowhere and aiming for his shoulder. He lost his sword in the process, batted away by the force of the throw. 

Kagami looked up to find Kise intercepting the knife-thrower. He took a step back, failing to notice how close he was to the edge of the road. 

Standing alone unarmed draws attention, and he was barely able to catch the first half of Kise's warning over all the chaos before he was knocked off his feet by the same heavily built bandit who'd been shot earlier. 

The ground disappeared out from under him, and Kagami felt the strange sensation of being suspended in the air before his shoulder met rock and he proceeded to tumble into one of the cracks in the earth.

\-----

The dry inhale he took upon regaining consciousness tasted of dirt, like he'd swallowed a pail of sand and was left without water for days after. Not something he wanted to wake up to.

Kagami expelled the chalky air from his lungs with a cough, moving to sit up. He rested a hand tenderly over the wound, flinching when he brushed his fingers over it. Kagami wasn't surprised to find it come back bloody. The fall didn't help at all, leaving him battered and stranded here- well, wherever _here_ was. 

There was barely enough light from a gap between rocks overhead, which had to be where he'd fallen from, that illuminated what appeared to be a cave. 

This was probably one of the hundreds of caves found on the border and all throughout Touou. The walls displayed layers of tinted sediment ranging in warm colors of orange and brown. Years of natural erosion must have carved the large area from solid rock. 

However, the faint sound of dripping water made Kagami scan the area once more. He would've smelled water if there was a nearby stream or natural well around. There was no damp odor in the air other than the smell of blood.

The noise came closer, and Kagami's eyes were drawn to the moving mass of red and brown scales that looked exactly like the wall he'd been staring at earlier, dripping a shiny silver liquid from its pearly white maw. 

Startled, Kagami jolted, but the sudden jerky movement rattled the arrow, keeping him rooted in place. 

Wherever it landed, the ground bubbled and boiled before eventually evaporating in the air, odorless. Kagami shifted away from a drop of the mercury-like substance that narrowly missed his boot. 

The color rippled and faded away to ivory as the dragon revealed itself, unseen until now. Russet brown eyes blinked and faded, leaving a ring-shaped membrane devoid of any color with the exception of a sliver of pupil.

He was in a dragon's territory.

The massive beast closed its mouth, thankfully stopping the stream of mercury vapor from poisoning the air any further. Lowering its head, it sniffed him.

Kagami could feel it graze his hair, and moved to cover his mouth when it breathed hot mercury-laced air back into his face, baring its teeth with a growl. Milky white irises turned a molten gold that now must've matched his own.

Correction. He was a dragon in _another_ dragon's territory. 

It appeared there were a few more things he couldn't control in his human form. That explained the hostile "greeting" and the unintentional eye color change. Kagami reached for the sword at his belt, only to remember hazily that he'd lost it previous to getting knocked down here. He cursed himself, dropping his hand back down at his side. 

With some difficulty, he was able to stand. The pale dragon watched his every move, gaze flickering down to the way he favored his left side. 

It dropped its head low enough to nudge the arm he had wrapped around his middle. Confused, Kagami looked back at the dragon, and it motioned with a jerk of its head to move. He hesitated, but removed his arm. There was hardly enough room for him to shift, even if there was something he could do. 

He supposed the blood he had smelled came from him, but he thought the dragon would've dismissed it. Instead, it was the center of its attention, and the last thing he expected was for the dragon to actually _lick_ it. 

There was a sharp stinging in his side the second the tongue withdrew, and Kagami backed away, reflexively going to touch it, but a growl from the dragon told him otherwise. 

He heard a clatter, and lifted his hand to find the arrow had fallen out of him and lay at his feet, the wooden shaft dissolved and half-eaten away, and found the wound in the completely opposite state. He looked back at it just in time to see the bloody hole close up, not a scar left behind. Only a hole in his shirt and outer layers was left, the brief but sharp pain already fading.

For safety measures, Kagami poked the restored skin there. Upon feeling none of the pain from earlier, he met eyes with the dragon. "Uh... thanks."

It bowed its head as if in acknowledgment of his gratitude.

A dragon with a deadly bite, but a healing touch. How odd.

Kagami was only an arm's length away, close enough to touch. He reached out, resting his hand on the scaled muzzle of the dragon, fascinated by the way the scales turned maroon like his own.

"Kagamicchi! Are you still alive down there?"

Kise's voice startled both parties into breaking apart. The mercury tainted teeth and the colorless eyes were back, and Kagami backed up a few steps.

The dragon rose back to its full height. It looked up to the gap in the rocks where the voice had come from, and Kagami thought for a few seconds that it was going to go after the source of the sound, but instead it snorted, turning away. It seems he was being let off the hook. Sort of. 

Hearing Kise call his name again, he approached the light, shielding his eyes to make out the blond head of hair at the top.

"Kise?"

"Kagamicchi?" Kise called again, hanging his head in relief when he spotted him. "Oh, thank the gods! I was already dreading facing Kurokocchi's anger if I came back without you! Here, we'll get you out of there!"

As Kise ordered some men to bring rope, Kagami looked back into the unmoving darkness, no dragon in sight. He was a bit disappointed, but shook it off, instead focusing back on being let back up.

There was going to have be some explaining to do, and there was no way in hell he was going to blame it on a dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The camouflage part may or may not have been taken from a certain rampant dinosaur in Jurassic world 
> 
> Okay, Tetsumi will be a focus next chapter, promise
> 
> This is just a side thingy that I wanted to do for the series, since I really can't get enough of this AU. If you have any ideas, lemme know~!


	2. Ryou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the sudden jumps and end. Summer has fried my brain, I feel like I'm losing my touch lol
> 
> Also, summer homework may or may not have screwed up my writing schedule for the rest of this vacation. I guess I write better when I'm tight on time
> 
> This is young Tetsumi's point of view until the last part, where she's already in her late teens btw
> 
> Also a lot of the dragons in this series are androgynous (like half of the dragon population in this world)

Sapphire eyes stared back at her through the snowflakes. 

Tetsumi paused in her step, having been trailing behind Kagami as they made their way back to the castle.

Winter had lost its edge after a few years, so having the portable equivalent of a bonfire by her side made wearing thick garments unnecessary. However, she recently learned that playing in the snow meant she had to step away, and out of the warm sphere Kagami emitted. 

A week ago, she'd strayed from him all day, running around until her hands and face were numb from the cold. She only realized the consequences when Kagami took note, that same night, of the constant sneezing and sniffling coming from her as she pressed against his side for warmth. 

It turned out that she'd just come down with a cold, but that didn't stop Kagami from taking the liberty of taking a week-long trek to the nearest town for clothes and medicine. They could've gotten there faster, but flying probably would've only worsened her condition. 

It was rare for Kagami to go to a place inhabited by people during the day. To her knowledge, he only made trips under the cover of night. Having to stick back and wait for him to return, despite her attempts to join him, Tetsumi still had yet to figure out how he, a dragon, was able to enter a town undetected.

Tetsumi didn't think much of it when he returned with what they came here for, mittens and robe and drawstring bag held carefully between his teeth. At least she was warm.

They were just now starting their trek back, and with a glance forward to check if Kagami had seen her stop, Tetsumi approached the small pair of eyes peeking out through an obvious lump in the snow, freshly fallen powder crunching under boots still too large for her feet. 

From the indent in the smooth ice popped out a small head. Tetsumi stopped in her tracks, a few steps away from the small creature. 

Crouching down in front of it, she tilted her head in curiosity. Atop its head were two small gray horns that curled and arched up towards the sky, contrasting to the snowy background. Silvery white scales trailed down its long neck and continue under the snow, where the rest of its body lay. It looked almost like a smaller, paler Kagami, minus the spikes. 

The dragon before her did the same, snow falling from its horns. Rising up on its haunches, it shook off what was left of the ice. It only took a few light hops for the dragon to make it in front of Tetsumi. 

She hesitated for a moment, but in the end carefully placed a mittened hand on its head, watching as it shrank away before eventually nuzzling her hand.

It sniffed the cloth of her cloak, and made a sound similar to that of a sneeze, probably due to the smell of fire that always seemed to cling to her clothes. 

The dragon sneezed again, and this time white frost shot from of its mouth, landing on her arm. It wouldn't have freaked her out as much, if it didn't start spreading across her skin and burning painfully.

Tetsumi yelped, jumping to her feet. She rubbed furiously at the ice, hoping the friction would heat up the frost solidifying on her skin. Amidst her panicking, a familiar shadow appeared over her. 

She jumped again when something large nudged her, and whipped around to face a very unhappy Kagami. He must've noticed the sound of her footsteps disappearing, and had come looking for her. 

She opened her mouth to say something, but one look from him had her closing it. Calmly, he moved her arm out of the way with his snout, and examined the frost creeping up her arm. Without a sound, he breathed hot air over it, melting away the ice. 

When he pulled away, Tetsumi looked at her arm, curling and uncurling her fingers as she felt the numbness fading. 

Satisfied at the result, Kagami directed his attention to the cause of the problem, the snow beneath them beginning to turn to slush. If he wasn't such a hot-blooded dragon, Tetsumi would've sworn the chill she felt go down her spine had come from his cold gaze. 

Then, just like that, Kagami breathed fire on the small dragon. 

Tetsumi could feel the heat from where she stood, even though it only lasted for a few seconds, leaving a cloud of steam where the dragon had been. 

"Kagami!" She moved to run forward, but one of Kagami's wings stopped her from coming any further. She looked at him, but Kagami only kept his eyes trained on the dissipating steam. Confused, she followed his gaze back.

Instead of whatever her vast imagination had conjured up as what could result from being set on fire, she was surprised to find the dragon curled up tightly in a ball, scales burning red hot, protecting it from being burned to a crisp. 

She watched in awe as the scales cooled and turned to its normal color. Only when they were white again did the dragon peek its head out from under thin, scaly wings she hadn't noticed protruding from its back until now, letting out a high-pitched whine.

Kagami lowered his wing, stepping forward. He hissed back, a sharp, harsh sound that had the dragon shrinking away, as if it were ready to be scorched by fire. It appeared that they were talking to each other.

What were they saying? Tetsumi was tempted to ask, but, considering she was a human, and these were reptiles communicating in what seemed to be their own language, she probably wouldn't get very far. Not to mention that she could only ask Kagami yes and no questions at this point. 

The dragon answered back, a low, vibrating coming from its throat. Kagami seemed pleased with the answer, rising back to full height again, tail swishing. He didn't appear quite as hostile as he did a minute ago. 

Sparing one final glance towards her, it scampered away, popping back under the snow, the shifting of powder marking the silent trail of the burrowing dragon. 

Kagami turned back to the path. Tetsumi followed a few moments later, with the first question already leaving her mouth. 

"I didn't know you can talk!"

Well, it wasn't really a question. But her second sentence was.

\-----

It was several weeks later that Tetsumi saw the white dragon again. 

The scratching of stone drew her attention away from the book she had been reading. She looked towards the window on the wall opposite her. The "window" was more of a gaping hole that had been corroded by years of wear and tear from the forces of nature. And she could see a pair of horns peeking through. 

It was no surprise when she looked away from the large opening and returned back to her book, five minutes later, to find the same rodent-sized dragon lounging by her side. 

Kagami was quite mad when he found out he'd missed the small critter's entrance into his territory. 

But eventually even he warmed up to the other dragon's presence.

\-----

Spring soon came, but that was the only winter the dragon ever came to visit. 

Years later, however, it did surprise her when she caught a glimpse of a familiar white dragon near the ruins of the Yosen castle while on a not-quite-permitted trip into the vast country, accompanied by a similar-looking dragon that could only be its mate. 

Tetsumi hid her smile behind her hood, cracking the reins in her hands to catch up with Kagami. 

The knight was, of course, the only one allowed to join her, considering he also had a duty as part of the Royal Circle to go wherever she went. Seeing her smile all of a sudden, he raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Her smile only grew larger. "It's nothing."

Kagami didn't put up much fight. "If you say so, Kuroko." 

Contrary to his words, the redhead glanced over at the same direction she had been looking. She said nothing when the corners of his lips turned up in a faint smile. Of course he'd sensed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I mentioned this before, but Tetsumi still has the same family name, Kuroko, instead of Akashi Tetsumi, because she's not related by blood to Seijuurou. Sei's mother died before his father remarried with Tetsumi's mother, and Tetsumi didn't really know her father. 
> 
> Also Kagami is one of the only people that calls her by her family name ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ 
> 
> Some dragon facts:
> 
> • Their way of communicating, as well as for the majority of other dragons, are similar to crocodile calls, since they are closely compared to dinosaurs in both appearance and behavior.  
> • As stated in the one-shot, one of the ways to display dominance over a dragon is to be able to be strong enough to mimic their magical ability or abilities; from imitating eye color or belly color, to full on executing the same attacks against them.  
> • A dragon's belly glows if they encounter another dragon. This occurs spontaneously, whether they sense the other or not. Their abdomens emit a glow similar to their type of magic, aura or environment.   
> • Kagami is actually one of many dragons that breaths fire; he is just of a different lineage, as displayed by the way his body ignites flames in several areas including down his spine and atop his head, which is found to be more uncommon.   
> • And since we're on the subject of fire-breathing dragons, their bellies are constantly glowing. It is often hard to notice during the daytime.


	3. Makoto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just Kagami confronting an old "acquaintance" making themself comfortable in his territory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in Yosen, a few years before Tetsumi "returns" to Teiko, and after Chapter 2 occurred. 
> 
> I'm alive, don't worry. Senior year has been tiring, and I've been feeling off for a while, but I've been trying to get back into the groove of writing, which is why this chapter, or any update in general, has taken this long. I've reread this damn chapter a hundred times and I'm tired of looking at it, so just take it.

It was the smell that got Kagami to investigate the problem. 

Soaring through the clouds, the steady beating of his wings and the wind whistling in his ears were his only company. Dark clouds blotted out the stars, only revealing the moon at brief intervals, guaranteeing an exceptionally chilly night. It was a good thing he'd remembered to make the fire extra large tonight for Tetsumi. Never had he taken her out on his evening patrols, especially not after that incident last month. 

That pesky dragon treated the castle as if it were his own home, stealing food and slumbering wherever he deemed fit. Once, Kagami had even found it snoozing under his wing one night. The only reason he had yet to drive it away was because Tetsumi was so fond of it. 

Kagami wrinkled his nose, finding the rotting scent only growing stronger as he continued to fly. He drifted lower, sniffing the foul air. It seemed to be coming from somewhere ahead. 

He slowed, watching as the trees beneath him grew larger. When he finally touched down, he found himself at a familiar location.

Years ago, just on the border of the forest, lay what was once a grassy clearing surrounding a large lake.

But that was the past. Now it sat scorched by fire and dyed black by dark magic. 

From a bird eye's view, it looked like a scar, cutting through the land like a deep wound that never healed. Any surrounding trees that still stood were blackened and dead, casting their own dark shadows had the moon been out. Ash was as fresh as ever beneath his claws, fallen branches and twigs crunching with each step. 

It was as if no time had passed since Kagami last found himself here. He still remembered the way the lake sparkled at its center even on a moonless night, and could recall how it once housed small water dragons, who often claimed it as their home during the warmer months of the year.

Years had passed, but the barren land only seemed to have grown darker. The ashy night sky made the atmosphere even more eerie, a symbol of an arriving storm. 

The stench was new though. The forest, once there was no more danger, should've begun growing by now, sprouting saplings from the fertile soil. 

But it appeared that a threat was still present. 

The odor was even more revolting up close, burning his nostrils as he found the source. It was the inky black swamp sat where the lake used to be. It reeked of corpses, amplified tenfold by the mysterious black liquid bubbling in the center. If Kagami knew better, he would've thought there had been a slaughtering. Perhaps that wasn't far from the truth. 

After all, he knew who the culprit was.

The air bubbles grew larger until a large mass broke the surface.

Sludge spilled down its mucky green hide, covering it from head to toe with slime, outlining the jagged rows of spikes trailing down its crooked spine, before falling off in large clumps. 

As muck continued to drip away, running down leathery scales that took on a green tint visible even in the slowly fading moonlight, the lower half of the dragon became exposed. The bare skeleton of its tail rose up from the pool, decorated at the taper with a sharp tip. The rest was shrouded in darkness, making it impossible for Kagami to make out anything else. 

It— _He_ breathed, a rattling wheeze akin to the sound of clattering bones that sent a shiver down Kagami's spine. Clouds of green fumes trailed out from his mouth, intoxicating the air. 

Makoto opened his eyes, immediately locking with Kagami's. Taupe bore into gold. He appeared almost amused to find him there, if the way his lips curled back into a crude, sharp-toothed smile were of any indication. "Been a while, Taiga." His voice cracked from ages of silence, hoarse and low.

The black ooze clung to his body as he rose up on all fours. Large horned wings hung from his shoulders.

Grotesque, hand-like shapes emerged from the muck, clawing at his skeleton-like legs and wings as if silently begging him to stay. It only relinquished its hold on Makoto when he touched solid ground, shrinking away the moment he touched the blackened soil, letting him easily slip out of its slimy grip. 

Finally out of the pool, Makoto looked more skeletal than alive. Kagami eyed him warily as he approached. 

"You don't seem very happy to see me." Makoto declared in a gravelly voice, finally stopping once they were face to face - or rather, face to chest. Makoto peered up at him, unfazed at all by how large Kagami was. He was so close that Kagami could've easily blown that blasted smile off his face, but for some reason, he hesitated. 

Makoto took no notice of his pause, putting distance between them now as he circled Kagami slowly, aware of the gold eyes observing his every move. "Well, I suppose we weren't on the best of terms last time we met." 

Kagami didn't bother to stop the snarl that made its way up his throat. The decaying state of this forest was a result of Makoto's hunger for destruction ages back. How ironic it was to find their first run-in with each other after so long to be the last place they had parted ways. 

Stopping before him once again, Makoto grinned. "Giving me the silent treatment, are you? Or do you just have nothing to say?" By now, his voice had cleared, allowing him to talk with ease. 

As tempted as he was to speak his thoughts, Kagami knew no words would come. 

As if reading his mind, the toothy grin returned. "Oh, that's right. I'd almost forgotten."

"You can't."

Kagami forced him back a few steps with a growl when he drifted just a little too close. Despite reacting defensively, Makoto looked pleased by the reaction; however that expression would look upon a dragon, it was simply difficult for Kagami to explain. 

"Still hurt about that, are you?" Makoto asked. He shook his large head. "You haven't changed at all."

"But one thing's for sure, you've certainly become more accustomed to company." Kagami stiffened. This time, it was not left unnoticed by Makoto. His grin grew sardonic. "How's that human of yours doing?"

Even if Kagami could speak, he would've had to refrain himself from responding. What irked him more than Makoto assuming he was still the same dragon he was all those years ago, was how the hell he knew about Tetsumi. 

Makoto exhaled a rumbling laugh, thick and scratchy from years of misuse. Gas streamed from his mouth in clouds, settling around them. "What was her name again? Oh yes, Tetsumi. Quite a pretty name, don't you think? It really suits her." 

Bones creaked as Makoto rose to his full height, still standing significantly shorter than Kagami. His crooked wings extended as he continued to speak. "Perhaps I'll pay her a visit sometime. Just to say hello, of course." 

With a flick of his wings, Makoto blew the green vapor towards Kagami. Kagami started in surprise, ingesting some of the gas. He coughed, looking up to see Makoto take to the sky, wings striking against each other to produce sparks. 

Kagami instinctively shielded himself. As they showered down, gas and spark met with explosive force, spitting fire all around him, falling harmlessly against his skin. 

Emerging from behind furled wings, Kagami quickly took off, dousing the fire with ice before the flames became too large to handle. The crack of something igniting alerted Kagami of the present threat, and he swerved out of the way to avoid another eruption of fire. As the flares of intense heat and light died out, the same foul smell from earlier lingered. 

Gas hung in the air like a heavy veil of fog. Steadying himself, Kagami listened for the telltale sound of flapping wings. 

He should've expected Makoto wouldn't be reckless enough to fight him head on, but it still caught him off guard when that bony tail of his wrapped itself around his neck, catching ahold of him like a silent constrictor and pulling him out of the air. With Makoto's metal claws digging into his plated hide, they barreled towards the ground, neither no longer focused on keeping themselves airborne. 

Avoiding the rows of teeth aiming for his neck, Kagami ignited the flames crowning his head, hitting Makoto in the face with blistering fire. The grip on his neck loosened, enough to break out of the hold and drag his claws down Makoto's side. 

Kagami extended his wings, air catching beneath his forelimbs, cushioning their fall only by a fraction as they hit the ground hard, Makoto luckily taking the brunt of the fall. 

Taking opportunity of the distraction, Kagami finally managed to clamp his jaws around Makoto's exposed neck and throw him off his back. 

Kagami spit the blood from his mouth, rising up on all fours shakily. Air expelled harshly from his lungs as he stood, still winded from the fall. Across from him, Makoto had trouble getting up himself, staggering from the force of the impact he had absorbed with his body. 

And it was with the light of the flames burning around them, that Kagami saw it. 

There was no way he would have seen it in the darkness. But now, with enough light, he was able to get a good look at Makoto. 

He looked sickly under the yellow light. The layer of scales strung across his chest had caught the glare of the flames before fading to camouflage with the rest of his scales. It wasn't just the state of Makoto's physical appearance that left Kagami rattled. It was the fact that he could see his _heart_. 

Kagami stared as Makoto's rib cage, exposed and left bare for a few fleeting seconds by the now-transparent film of skin, expanded as smoothly as it would have under flesh and working muscle. The tissue that should have been encasing Makoto's chest cavity was nowhere to be found. His heart and other organs, cradled by rows of curved bones, were still intact, pulsing and functioning with the help of dark magic. It was a toxic lifeline for a dragon that should've died a long time ago.

Makoto finally caught his breath, but Kagami hardly noticed, still stunned by what he had just seen. 

There was the shrill shriek of sparks and the green fire burst before his eyes, catching him off guard before he could even react. Kagami stumbled back, blinking the spots dancing in his vision. The smoke was back, shrouding his surroundings and preventing from seeing anything. 

He heard a roar of laughter, and Makoto spoke his final words. 

"Until we meet again, Kagami." 

By the time the clouds of gas had cleared, Makoto was gone. 

Kagami looked around, but found no sign of the dragon anywhere in his bleary eyesight. His senses were muffled, and he had to shake his head to clear them. 

Even after taking off and pursuing Makoto's trail, it soon became apparent that whatever scent Kagami had been chasing after was becoming washed away by the rain, which was only getting worse by the minute. It was like he had just vanished. 

The sky flashed bright for a moment, lighting up miles upon miles of treetops for a split second. A tree a few hundred meters caught fire, followed by the familiar rumble of thunder. 

Kagami would've kept going without a glance, but when another flash, striking even closer to him, set another tree ablaze, he slowed to a stop.

Both fires lit up the night briefly, stirring the forest with sounds of rustling and cries from those lingering too close to the trees at the time of the strike. Eventually they became doused by the rain, summoned to come down harder a force above the clouds. (That force, was a story for another time.) 

It was uncommon for lightning to strike twice. But on as bizarre a night as this, it was bound to mean something. 

After spending a long time pondering his choices, Kagami turned back, heading in the direction of the castle. He wouldn't get any farther in this rain. And considering he had crossed paths with Makoto once already, odds were that he wasn't planning on showing his face again anytime soon. After all.. 

A black dragon always brought bad luck. 

\-----

When Kagami returned, drenched from flying, he found the weather just as bad back at the castle. 

Claws chafing against the crumbling flooring, he made his way to the very back of the castle, past the overarching passage, and into the large dome-shaped space they frequented. 

Tetsumi, unsurprisingly, lay curled asleep against the large mattress she had moved from one of the more untouched high chambers and down to the ground floor. Her baby blue hair peeked out from underneath the thick wool blanket thrown over her shoulders. 

Despite the condition of the mattress, she still stubbornly continued to use it. He really should get her a new one. But whenever he tried to take it when she wasn't looking, she would always catch him before he could make it far. He huffed at the thought. 

The fire was nearly out, providing only just enough light to also make out the small guest he and Tetsumi had welcomed, curled up against her side. His small wings lay outstretched to shelter her from any rain that happened to splash in their direction, small chirps leaving the maw of the little beast each time he exhaled. 

It only took a quick breath of fire for the flames to come alive again, instantly brightening the room. The other dragon stirred, squinting his eyes against the heat before tucking his head under his wing and away from the fire, and before long began to snore away again. His scales became warmer, melting into a soft ashen color.

Kagami took his place on the other side of the fire to avoid waking Tetsumi. Although this side of the room had its roof caved in, he hardly found it a nuisance. 

Lowering his head over his paws, he shut his eyes, the memories of tonight's encounters giving him little room to sleep. 

And so the rain continued to fall, watering the scorched earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A translation unless it wasn't made clear: It was an old superstition back in the day that an encounter with a black dragon, commonly known for its lust for destruction, guaranteed death and bad luck upon the witness. 
> 
> Also, this was an exception in the whole name connection thing. Hanamiya Makoto was mentioned briefly in the Side Stories, but doesn't have any connection to Makoto (yet). 
> 
> Basically, Makoto looks like a wyvern, with his abilities having been loosely influenced by that of the Hideous Zippleback. 
> 
> And this isn't the last you'll be hearing from him, my friends.
> 
>  
> 
> Some more dragon facts:
> 
>  
> 
> • A select number of dragons can speak. As mentioned in the one-shot, dragons were rumored to have taught people how to speak, but most have either abandoned the practice or are too young to know it yet.  
> • While a human can speak in tongues, the ability for dragons to actually be able to speak like a human is a secondary magic. It's sorta like a side magic.  
> • Secondary magic can be identified as a special level of magic. Most often, it's a defensive magic.  
> • Some examples of secondary magic are: camouflage, enhanced hides, shapeshifting, telepathy, and high pain resistance.  
> • A dragon's primary magic is typically what they can breath or cast. Dragons can have multiple main abilities, but it will typically revolve around a single element/type.  
> • That being said, secondary magic are most efficiently used when they compliment the dragon's primary magic, and can be utilized to keep a dragon's weaknesses from being easily exploited. As you can expect, weaknesses are normally the element/type opposite that of the dragon's (Fire and Ice, Light and Dark, etc.).  
> • The stronger a dragon, the more types of secondary magic they possess.  
> • One example of a good magic combination is the dragon from Chapter 2. His primary magic was ice, so it was only natural for his secondary magic to be an enchanted hide that was impervious to heat.  
> • Lol Kagami has pretty unrelated types of magic: fire and shapeshifting/enhanced hide (from what you know of him so far)  
> • And since we're on the subjects of magic, Makoto has poison/flammable breath and an enhanced hide.  
> • The subject of primary and secondary levels of magic only apply to actual living, breathing dragons; meaning that there are also non-living/spirit dragons, as you'll see in the next chapter~


End file.
